[Copied by Lory Brasel, lbrasel@leagent.net,
from the book "History of Otter Tail County" Volume
I - 1916 by John W. Mason]

The township of Compton (township 134, range 36) was born under inauspicious conditions.
As a matter of fact, when the commissioners brought the fledgling into existence on May 10, 1875,
there was no one present to christen it and not even one of the commissioners had a name to suggest.
Two days later, May 12, the board, or some one interested in the township, gave it the name of
Grant and it bore the name of that illustrious general until July 29, 1875, when it was changed by
the order of the commissioners to Compton, so named in honor of one of the early pioneers of the
county. The election for the first officers was set for the 31st of the same month at the house of a
man by the name of Langly.

Compton is the central township on the eastern border of the county. It is bounded on the
north by Bluffton, on the west by Deer Creek, on the south by Oak Valley and on the east by
Wadena county. This township loses to some extent in picturesqueness, but gains in acreage
of tillable land by not having a lake within the confines of its territory. The drainage of this township
through the waters of Leaf river is excellent. The natural slope is to the north and the streams all
take a due northerly course. Oak and Bluff creeks flow the entire length of the township and
furnish excellent natural and artificial drainage to the farmers. These streams are tributaries of
Leaf river, which latter stream flows across the northwestern corner, entering from Deer creek
and flowing into Bluffton township.

The main line of the Northern Pacific cuts the extreme northeast corner of the township,
running wholly in section1. The Fergus Falls division of this road branches off at Wadena Junction
and runs southwest through the township. There are just seven miles of railroad in this township.
Compton was settled and organized at an early date. This was due, no doubt, to the building
of the railroad through this section in 1871, as only four years elapsed until it was formally
organized. There is no town within the limits of Compton, although the people have easy
access to the villages of Deer Creek on the west and Wadena on the east.